Population in Bulgaria

POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN BULGARIA
1. Total population
Population by sex and years as of 31.12

YEAR


TOTAL


MALE


FEMALE
2005 7718750 3743327 3975423
2006 7679290 3720932 3958358
2007 7640238 3699689 3940549
2008 7606551 3681280 3925271


At the end of 2004 the calculated resident population of Bulgaria was 7 761 049 persons 1 . Compared to 2003 its number has declined by 40 224 persons or 0.5% of total population. The decline is entirely due to the negative natural increase of the population, i.e. the significantly greater number of deaths compared to that of live births.

Years Total Males Females
1990 8 669 269 4 269 998 4 399 271
1995 8 384 715 4 103 368 4 281 347
2000 8 149 468 3 967 423 4 182 045
2001 7 891 095 3 841 163 4 049 932
2002 7 845 841 3 816 162 4 029 679
2003 7 801 273 3 790 840 4 010 433
2004 7 761 049 3 767 610 3 993 439



The number of females in the total population continues to be higher (relative share of 51.5 %.). In 2004 there were 1 000 males to 1 060 females.
The present population of cities is 5 431.8 thousand, or 70.0% of the Bulgarian population, and that of villages - 2 329.2 thousand or 30.0%.
2. Ageing of the population
The average age of the population in Bulgaria in 2004 stood at 41 years. The process of ageing of the population takes place in both villages and cities, the average age in villages being higher than that in cities – 45.0 years in villages and 39.3 years in cities.
The average life expectancy at birth for the 2002-2004 period is 72.37 years.
3. Population under, at and over working age
The breakdown of the population at working age and over working age is influenced by both ageing and the changes in legislation fixing the age limit for the population at pension age2.
The population at working age at the end of 2004 was approximately 4 782 thousand persons or 61.6% of the total population. In comparison with 2003 its number increased significantly by 35 thousand persons.
The population over working age in 2004 was 1 805 thousand persons. Over a period of a year it has approximately decreased by 40 thousand persons. The decline is not only due to the natural movement of the population (crude birth rate and mortality) but also to the exclusion from it of part of the population due to changes in the pension age limit.
A long-term tendency towards a decline has emerged among the population under working age. In comparison with 2003 this category of population has decreased by 35 thousand persons, and by the end of 2004 it numbered 1 174 thousand persons.
Population under, at and over working age
YearsTotalWorking – age status Under working ageAt working ageOver working age
1990 100.00 21.6 55.5 22.9
1995 100.00 19.1 56.6 24.3
2000 100.00 16.8 58.3 24.9
2001 100.00 16.3 59.2 24.5
2002 100.00 15.9 60.1 24.0
2003 100.00 15.5 60.8 23.7
2004 100.00 15.1 61.6 23.3
4. Natality of the population
During the 2004 70 433 children were born in Bulgaria, of which 69 886 (99.2%) were live-born. Compared to the preceding year the number of live-born children has increased by 2 527. The crude birth rate (the number of live-born children per 1 000 persons of the average annual population) reaches - 9.0‰.
In 2004 the number of live-born boys was 36 026 and the number of live-born girls was 33 860, i.e. there were 1 000 boys to 940 girls.
The number of live-born children in cities was 50 390, and in villages was 19 496 children, or the crude birth rate was 9.3‰ in cities and 8.3‰ in villages.
Crude birth rate and natural increase of the population

YearsCrude birth rateNatural increaseTotal fertility rate3
Per 1000 of the population
1990 12.1 -0.4 1.81
1995 8.6 -5.0 1.23
2000 9.0 -5.1 1.27
2001 8.6 -5.6 1.24
2002 8.5 -5.8 1.21
2003 8.6 -5.7 1.23
2004 9.0 -5.2 1.29

During the last few years a constant increase of the number of illegitimate births can be observed. Their relative share has increased from 25.8% in 1995 to 38.4% in 2000, reaching 46.1% in 2003. In 2004 the number of illegitimate births is 34 043, or 48.7%. When reviewing data on illegitimate births one should keep in mind that for about 60,0% of all illegitimate births the name of the father was listed as known. Hence illegitimate births are greatly due to the increase of the number of so-called “de facto” marriages namely we can thus assume that not all illegitimate children live outside a family environment.
5. Mortality of the population
In Bulgaria in 2004 there were 110 110 deaths, or the crude death rate (the number of deaths per 1000 persons of the average annual population) stood at 14.2‰. Compared to the preceding year the number of deaths has decreased by 1 817 persons.
Mortality remains higher among males (15.7‰) than females (12.7‰), and higher in villages (19.4‰) than in cities (11.9‰).
Crude birth rate, infant mortality rate and premature mortality rate
YearsCrude death rate - ‰Infant mortality rate4-‰Premature mortality rate5- ‰
1990 12.5 14.8 29.7
1995 13.6 14.8 28.3
2000 14.1 13.3 25.0
2001 14.2 14.4 25.2
2002 14.3 13.3 24.5
2003 14.3 12.3 24.3
2004 14.2 11.6 24.9

Infant mortality continues to be characterized by its considerable inherent fluctuations. The infant mortality rate is an indicator influenced by various factors and susceptible to change in time and the relatively minor numbers from which it is derived. After reaching the high level of 16.9‰ in 1991, the infant mortality rate fell to 14.8‰ in 1995, and in 1997 reached its highest value for the last 15 years - 17.5‰. Over the next years it decreased again, reaching 12.3‰ in 2003. In 2004, 814 children up to the age of 1 year died in Bulgaria, with the infant mortality rate decreasing to 11.6‰.
6. Natural increase of the population
The difference between births and deaths represents the natural increase of the population. Since 1990 the number of deaths exceeds that this of births. Hence this difference is negative. As a result, since the beginning of the 1990s the population of Bulgaria has been decreasing. The natural increase of the population in absolute terms in 2004 is minus 40 224 persons. The natural increase rate (difference between births and deaths per 1000 persons of the average annual population) is - 5.2‰ in 2004. The difference between the natural increase rate values in cities and villages is considerable. In villages it was –11.1‰, and –2.6‰ in cities.
7. Marriages and divorces
The total number of registered marriages was 31 038, or 393 more than in preceding year. Out of all registered marriages 80.1% were in cities. There were 6 181 registered marriages in villages.
The number of terminated marriages in 2004 is 14 669, or 2 666 more than in 2003. The greatest part of the number of divorces (11 811 divorces) took place in cities.
8. Internal migration of the population
In 2003 137 thousand persons took part in 145 thousand migrations and changed their place of residence within the country.
The biggest migration increase in territorial aspect in 2004 occurred between cities and other cities. Approximately 45% of all migrants changed their place of residence from one town to another. Migration flows from cities to villages (23%) and villages to cities (21%) were much smaller in terms of relative share. The smallest migration flow was from village to village (-11%).


1 The number of population is influenced by external migration, which is not taken into account.
2 In 2004 the population at working age includes the persons aged 16 years until the completion of 62 years and 6 months for men and 16 and 57 and 6 months for women.
3 The average number of children, whom a mother would give birth to during her entire fertility period.
4 Number of dead children at the age below 1 year per 1 000 live-born children.
5 Relative share of the deaths of persons under the age of 65 years of the total number of deaths.